Jefferson and Lincoln to join Liberty Walk
Andy Buss
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News
Statues of Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson will be installed on campus this spring, as part of the Liberty Walk that also boasts statues of Margaret Thatcher, George Washington and Frederick Douglass.
Chief Staff Officer Mike Harner said all the historical figures in the Liberty Walk share common characteristics.
"The Liberty Walk honors champions of liberty from our history and those who championed it worldwide," he said.
Rich Péwé, vice president of administration, said a different donor contributes the funds for each statue. The donor tells college administrators which historical figure he wants the statue to commemorate. Still, the overarching design aligns closely with the administrators' vision, Péwé said.
"The idea of the walk is an idea of a way to bring the mission of the college and the founding of the country and things that contributed not only to the college's founding, but the Constitution and the Declaration are key," he said. "The college has always looked to those as the greatest sharers of liberty."
With those two founding documents in mind, former Hillsdale College sculpting professor Tony Frudakis, 55, who specializes in classical sculpting, has been commissioned to create both Lincoln and Jefferson. He already is responsible for the likeness of Washington on campus.
"Sculpting people like Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln has been a really inspiring experience for me," Frudakis said. "Mainly through getting to know them better. Getting closer to their ideas and the quality lives they lived has been inspiring to me not only as an artist, but personally."
Frudakis said his love of classical statues came from studying Greek sculptures from the Hellenistic age. He said he reads biographies, looks at pictures and does multiple sketches and clay models before starting his final version of a sculpture.
"It takes the better part of two years," he said. "Right from the beginning with research and reading - then I'll do some sketches and clay sketches. I'll show those to Dr. Arnn and Mike Harner and they pick the one that will work best."
Chief Staff Officer Mike Harner said all the historical figures in the Liberty Walk share common characteristics.
"The Liberty Walk honors champions of liberty from our history and those who championed it worldwide," he said.
Rich Péwé, vice president of administration, said a different donor contributes the funds for each statue. The donor tells college administrators which historical figure he wants the statue to commemorate. Still, the overarching design aligns closely with the administrators' vision, Péwé said.
"The idea of the walk is an idea of a way to bring the mission of the college and the founding of the country and things that contributed not only to the college's founding, but the Constitution and the Declaration are key," he said. "The college has always looked to those as the greatest sharers of liberty."
With those two founding documents in mind, former Hillsdale College sculpting professor Tony Frudakis, 55, who specializes in classical sculpting, has been commissioned to create both Lincoln and Jefferson. He already is responsible for the likeness of Washington on campus.
"Sculpting people like Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln has been a really inspiring experience for me," Frudakis said. "Mainly through getting to know them better. Getting closer to their ideas and the quality lives they lived has been inspiring to me not only as an artist, but personally."
Frudakis said his love of classical statues came from studying Greek sculptures from the Hellenistic age. He said he reads biographies, looks at pictures and does multiple sketches and clay models before starting his final version of a sculpture.
"It takes the better part of two years," he said. "Right from the beginning with research and reading - then I'll do some sketches and clay sketches. I'll show those to Dr. Arnn and Mike Harner and they pick the one that will work best."
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